ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES CAPABLE OF LYSING Salmonella ON CHICKEN MEAT COLLECTED FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETS IN VINH LONG PROVINCE

Abstract

Salmonella spp. are commonly present in raw poultry products and represent one of the major foodborne pathogens posing significant risks to consumers. Therefore, this study was conducted to isolate, select, and identify bacteriophage (phage) strains capable of lysing Salmonella spp. on chicken meat collected from selected traditional markets in Vinh Long province. Using the double-layer agar plaque assay, phage strains were isolated and evaluated for their host range against the Salmonella strains tested. The results showed that phage strain PSP9_9 was able to lyse 9 out of 21 Salmonella spp. strains (42.86%). The morphology of PSP9_9, determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), revealed that it belongs to the family Chaseviridae, order Caudovirales. Assessment of the biocontrol efficacy of phage PSP9_9 on chicken meat after 24, 48, 72 hours showed that Salmonella counts in phage-treated samples decreased by 1.82 - 2.93 log CFU/mL compared with the control at both 8°C and 25°C. These findings indicate that phage PSP9_9 has promising potential for application in controlling Salmonella spp. and enhancing the microbiological safety of chicken meat during storage.